Vixen in Velvet

May 26, 2014
Chase’s slightly offbeat third and final Dressmakers historical (after Scandal Wears Satin) follows Leonie Noirot, who’s left to run the dressmaking shop Maison Noirot after her sisters marry wealthy men. When Leonie agrees to act as a Pygmalion of sorts for the socially awkward Lady Gladys, she spends more time spatting with Gladys’s charming, handsome, and altogether too devilish cousin, Simon Blair, Marquess of Lisburne. The two are predictably thrown together in a variety of ways. Though not a typical Regency-era romance, this often overwrought tale falls just short of being truly interesting. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary Agency.

Starred review from June 15, 2014

With a brilliant head for business and an unerring sense of style, pragmatic Leonie Noirot is determined to keep both her dressmaker establishment Maison Noirot and the charity she and her sisters founded in the black. When influential Simon Blair, Marquess of Lisburne, takes an interest, she is quick to take advantage, never thinking his attraction to her might end up being the real thing. A high-stakes, daring wager with an ugly-duckling-to-swan twist, a captivating Botticelli painting, a refreshing assortment of uncommon individuals, and a surfeit of malicious gossip, scandalous secrets, and abysmal poetry combine in a gratifying romance. VERDICT Sparkling dialog, insightful character development, exquisite designs, and a clever, well-spun plot result in a glorious laughter-infused tale that sees the last Noirot sister satisfactorily wed but hints of other matches to come. Another flawless story for the peerless Worcester, MA-based Chase (Scandal Wears Satin).

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2014
Nothing is more important to Leonie Noirot than Maison Noirot, the London dress shop Leonie owns with her two sisters. Leonie spends her every waking moment balancing the ledgers and thinking of ways to keep the shop in the black. Securing new clients is one way to keep Maison Noirot one step ahead of the competition, and giving Lady Gladys Fairfax a much-needed fashion makeover will demonstrate to the rest of the ladies in the ton the superiority of Maison Noirot's designs. The only wild card in Leonie's otherwise carefully calibrated plan is Glady's cousin, Simon Blair, the marquess of Lisburne. Whichever way Leonie turns, the sinfully sexy nobleman seems to be constantly underfoot, distracting Leonie with some nonsensical ideas about all work and no play. With her gorgeously rendered prose, flawless sense of characterization, and rare gift for effortlessly matching sparkling wit and seductive passion, Chase will once again charm readers into swooning with delight. In a world of off-the-rack romance creations, Vixen in Velvet, the latest in Chase's Dressmakers series, is a bespoke masterpiece.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)